Montana Fly Fishing Information

Most avid anglers consider the fly fishing in Montana to be the best in the lower 48 states. Montana is also recognized world wide as offering some of the best trout fishing on the world and is on par with other international locations such as Alaska, Patagonia, and New Zealand. The legendary blue ribbon rivers in Montana hold wild trout in both quality and quantity. Montana is the only state in the lower 48 that does not stock any moving bodies of water, all of the trout you will catch are wild!

Several factors contribute to the quality of the fishing in the Big Sky state that help it stand above many other regions of the country. We still has a population under one million residents despite being one of the largest states in the US. The lack of angling pressure from locals helps maintain the quality of the fisheries. The state also has thousands of miles of high caliber wild trout waters which help to ensure that the visiting anglers from other states are spread over many different rivers. The lack of pressure compared to other destination locations like the Green River in Utah and the San Juan in New Mexico is very appealing to many of our return guests.

One of the greatest attributes of a Montana fishing trip is the vast diversity of freestone rivers, tail waters, small streams and spring creeks that can be accessed on the same visit. The variety of fishing ensures that there are always contingency plans in case there are unusual conditions such as droughts or high water. In Southern Montana there is ALWAYS a place to fish regardless of the time of year! The other great appeal of the large number of fisheries that we can access is that you will not be fishing the same river over and over again. Many of our visiting guests have been with us year after year and thoroughly enjoy visiting new waters on each returning visit. There are few other places where you can fish a classic freestone river, a tail water, and a small spring creek all on the same trip.

A final perk of fishing in our region is that the amazing quality of the rivers has helped to establish a very high quality fly fishing industry. Montana fishing guides are widely considered to be some of the best in the world. Several of our guides have been recruited to guide at international destinations including Chile, Argentina and Mongolia because of their professionalism and expertise. Our fly fishing lodges are also some of the best in the industry and excel at providing a memorable experience both on and off of the water.

Fishing Licenses
To legally fish in Montana you must hold a valid fishing license. You need to first purchase the $10 conservation license followed by your fishing license. Non Resident Licenses are sold in 2 day blocks for $15, 10 day blocks for $43.50 or $60 for the season. So if you are fishing for one or two days the cost is $25. If you are fishing for four days you would by a conservation license and 2 2 day blocks which would total $40. If you are fishing for a week you need a 10 day with the conservation license at $70 total. Non Resident children age 1-14 are not required to hold a license when fishing with a licensed adult. Licenses can be purchased online at the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Online Licensing Site. Licenses can also be purchased upon arrival at local flyshops. Our guides generally stop at a shop on the first morning of fishing to pick up flies for the day so adding a license only adds about 10 more minutes.

Articles
Learn some tips and tricks from our guides. Articles range from the art of fishing around large rocks on the Madison to the secrets of catching monster trout.

When to fish - a season by season guide of what to expect when fishing in Montana
One of the most common questions we receive is when is the best time to fish Montana. There is no good answer to this question because of the wide diversity of fisheries and fishing conditions that we have. The beauty of Southern Montana is that there is always a fishery that is producing during any month of the year. While good fishing is had during the winter months, we recommend a trip between late April and late October if you are travelling exclusively to fish. Follow the link above to read more about the typical conditions during each phase of our fishing season.

Weather
Mountain weather is notoriously fickle. This link will give you an idea of type of conditions you might encounter during each month as well as the current weather forecast.

Packing List
A guide to packing for your Montana fishing trip.

Equipment Guide
A list of recommended equipment for different fishing conditions in Montana.

Travel Information
A map of the region and information on some of the different towns and valleys that we guide out of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Testimonials -
Read what our guests have to say about Montana Angler Fly Fishing. "A friend of mine told me I should take up fly-fishing, I would really enjoy it. Deciding to give it a real try, I contacted Montana Angler to set up date to come to Montana. Wow! My friend was right. Thanks to you, I know that I am going to be fly-fishing for the rest of my life. It was an awesome experience. I'm glad I choose Montana Angler." ~ Roger Creveling, FL
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Montana Fly Fishing Blog
Our blog has shorter posts than our articles but is a great place to follow recent fishing reports from guides, follow Montana fly fishing related news and learn some strategies for fishing in the Big Sky state.